On June 24, 1967 I turned 21 years old. I was stationed at Da Nang, Viet Nam. I made it to the Air Base there, went to the NCO Club, and ordered (legally) the first drink I had ever ordered in my life. Not being a frequent imbiber, I asked the bartender for a "Tom Collins," which he made, served to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks for the memories! (I went on to complete a USAF career and retired as a First Sergeant [MSgt] and Chinese interpreter.
I am mostly a whiskey drinker but got a bottle of gin recently. Botanist since I do enjoy things Islay. After a couple of different tries at Martini's, it was hot this past Sunday so I decided to try a Tom Collins. I had come to Anders channel to watch his video on a Tom Collins and couldn't believe there wasn't one. So I tried it any way and it was good! Now, like magic, here is an Anders video on the Tom Collins. A very refreshing cocktail.
Perfect time of spring to cover this classic. Also, this is one of the best looking drinks you’ve made (in my opinion) . . . the symmetrical lines of the glass, straw, and cherry spear against the lemon and cherry say “art deco”. Really well done 👌
This was a favorite of my late grandmother and every time I have one I think of her. Thank you for your entertaining and robust explanation of this great cocktail!
Apparently, my grandmother loved them as well. She passed away when I was young, but I was recently at a family event, and I ordered one and a family member of mine mentioned she loved them and now it reminds me of her as well.
When I make my home made Limoncello i've been known from time to time to put a spring of lavender in the bottle & leave it in as I store it to steep in a cool, dry, back of a cabinet.
I tried gin with rosemary!!! It was truly excellent!! Thanks for the idea. I used gin, a sugar cube, lemon juice, an egg white, rosemary, and ice. I gave it a shake, double strained it, and added a splash of Sprite. Fabulous!!! 💞
I just made this cocktail using Mulholland gin. I could really taste the cucumber and lavender notes from the gin. I can't wait to try this with other brands! Thank you for the video and recipe.
Way back machine to my early 20s and one of my exes favorite cocktails was the tom collins. It was my introduction to the drink and I became a fan of it and its variants. Still love it 20 some years later.
Saw your video, I knew I would probably have all the ingredients for it on hand. Went to my kitchen, put my Collins glass in the freezer and started mixing. I used Tanqueray, and wow, I did not expect this drink to be so easy yet so nice. Gonna be making these a lot this summer. Cheers Anders!
Classic drink, never gets old. Try the muddled version: 1/2 lemon (quartered) and a heaping Tbsp of sugar, hard muddle, add 2.5 Oz gin (I stir a little here to ensure sugar dissolves) and ice, shake and strain, add 4 Oz soda and ice to fit. So lemony.
I have a small notebook with recipes for home preparation but I always wait for your video to make all ticks and tricks. Finally, Tom Collins in the list. Thanks))
awesome video, i was planning on making a cucumber collins this week, basically the same drink but with a thin slice of cucumber across the lengt ash a garnish in the glass, looks amazing!!
Nice spec Anders. My favourite variation on this is using orgeat in place of sugar syrup, and I also add a dash of orange bitters. Enjoy your weekend bro 😎
Anders! Thank you (to you and Az) so much for the great content all these years. I've been watching you since your old fashioned video and thanks to you I've enjoyed making many cocktails for me and my friends. Cheers.
FINALLY!!!!!! This is one of my favorite drinks because of the reference in Ernest Hemmingway's Islands In The Streams. I have been long awaiting this video
This was the first drink that i learned. From my mother actually, and made it for her as soon as yesterday 😅. Love the simplicity of it, and it is even better now, that you gave some background info to go with from behind the bar. Love the drink. Love the channel. Love your work, so keep it up! 👌
One of my all time favorite cocktails right behind mojito, a modified bramble with egg white and golden fizz! Thanks for the history lesson and the great video ^^
I`ve been making drinks when entertaining at home for years now. It`s simple, refreshing and requires very little when sourcing the ingredients. This is the crowd pleaser that everyone enjoys.
I was watching this video on my TV, but picked up my phone because I felt compelled to let you guys know that I really appreciate the history lessons in your videos.
I love this. Simple and lemon and gin. I love gin. Likely my favorite spirit followed by cognac or whiskey. I will use this tonight. I also will be making this with Bubly. Hoping the lightly fruity goes well with the overall end product.
I'm a new subscriber but I'm already a fan and have been watching all your videos! Love the old fashioned drinks and history talks. 😃 I want to humbly request that you do a video for the Hemingway Daiquiri, my favorite classic cocktail! ❤
Vodka Collins is my sweetheart's favorite drink. At home he would just have Ketel One with Simply Lemonade until I learned to make him a proper one. Juice of half a lemon, 3-4 oz vodka, 1 oz of simple syrup, shake to combine/chill, strain into a glass of ice and top with club soda. It's easy to make and really good and he loves for me to fix him a drink.
Might be my favorite warm weather drink. Thanks for sharing your recipe! I think I speak for all of us that your videos bring a bit of extra joy to every Friday. Cheers!
As I understand it, and this is just from what I've read so I could be wrong here, the John Collins used Genever/Jenever because how you pronounce the spirit sounds close to the name John (close-ish, if you squint really hard, haha). I've seen calls for whiskey as a substitute but my guess is that it's to recreate the malty profile of the genever as the backbone. As you said, the Tom Collins uses Old Tom gin. I'm seeing a pattern of the Collins given name being a riff of the base spirit here! I've also read that a Tom Collins without Old Tom gin is just called a Gin Fizz. From that, I would assume that a collins is just a more specific fizz for whatever reason, i.e. "all collins are fizzes but not all fizzes are collins" sort of deal. It almost reminds me of the whole "Ranch Water is really just a Tequila Rickey with a gussied up name because of the Topo Chico." I hope my train of thought makes sense here. Am I (mostly) right here? I don't know for certain.
Made one for my wife and myself tonight. Excellent. I have a fairly large garden, my raspberries, blueberries and blackberries are coming on, strawberries in full swing. Looking forward to trying your summer smash drinks.
Yet so simple and so good and refreshing, not everyone knows how to make it or know what it is. I’ve gone to bars and restaurants and have had bartenders ask me how to make it or they goggle it.
I worked all summer on variations of the Pisco Sour only to circle back and 'invent' the Tom Collins (or Phil Collins when made with Pisco). Small tweaks for me: add Triple Sec, use Lime juice, dash of Ango.
Tom Collins is one of my favourite cocktails. I was hoping Anders that you would have done two versions of this cocktail as you have done with many others, that is why I love to watch your videos. Still a great video👌
omg i LOVE that glass! also, you didn't really mention it, but i also appreciate you used a seltzer bottle. We have (and use) one, but it's old and it sprays like Vesuvius. i'm kinda thinking i gotta stop using a vintage one and just buy a new one. but bottom line, props for using a seltzer bottle!
Thank you so much for this one! As simple as it is, I’ve found that it’s so hard for bartenders to get the harmony just right, if they even know how to make it at all.
Great video as always! Loved the history bit here. I personally make these with tonic water instead of plain soda, I like the slightly bitter aftertaste.
While watching my favorite summertime movie 'The Seven Year Itch' it got my interest in Tom Collins, it just looked so refreshing! I like to ask for a TC just to see the bartenders stop and think for a second. It's a hit or miss if they know how to make a good one.
I know you said you liked it as it is. But if you haven´t you should try it with elderflower liqour. 3cl gin and 2cl elderflower liqour. It´s really refreshing! Also, love your content. Helped me with a lot in the bar here in Sweden
Your presentation is absolutely phenomenal! I'd expect nothing less when going to a high end bar in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc. Onto other things, would making a gin video be something you'd be open to?
Here's my riff, I call it the Thyme Collins. 2 oz London dry gin 1 oz lemon juice .5 oz thyme simple syrup .25 oz elderflower liqueur Garnish with lemon wheel and fresh thyme sprig
I actually made this a few nights ago . I found a recipe from David Wonderich for the original recipe that used old Tom gin and lime juice. It was excellent
This is the daddy of all drinks, imo. Like, I will take a Collins anywhere... on a moose, on a goose, in a train, on a plane, I do like them, Sam I am. I am an uneducated amateur, but I think that the Collins is a family of drinks... it's the 2-1-1 ratio liquor/sour/sweet thing... a margarita is a collins, a mojito is a collins, etc... that ratio you can't go wrong with pretty much any combination of strong, sour, and sweet (I tend to take the sweet a bit back myself too), then top it off (or not) with soda. Delicious. Aggressively refreshing.
Thanks, another great video. This is my favorite drink. I just hate when you go to a bar and they use vodka instead of gin and you don't find out until after the first sip.
Man Anders where was this a couple of weeks ago when needed a recipe?😮My mom came out for a visit and she recounted a story she used to drink Tom Collins with her mother-in-law (Aka Grandma) and I was like what is that, never had one. So to the internet we went then hopped in the car to the liquor store and got back home and experimented with different recipe’s. A lot called for Triple sec. Nothing as simple as yours, will be trying this one soon!! 😄
Anybody out there actually named Tom Collins? I'd like a word.
No, but you've got a Jon Collins following you all the way from the UK..... Close but no cigar, eh?! Great work as always, Anders.
@@mojojon1967 close enough. Cheers, Jon!
@@mojojon1967 Hey Jon! Why do they call you Mojo?
@@JohnMorris604 Just a nickname I picked up along the way... Firmly stuck with it now...
My father's name is Tom Collins. He decided to name me John. Makes for good conversation when ordering these drinks at the bar!
On June 24, 1967 I turned 21 years old. I was stationed at Da Nang, Viet Nam. I made it to the Air Base there, went to the NCO Club, and ordered (legally) the first drink I had ever ordered in my life. Not being a frequent imbiber, I asked the bartender for a "Tom Collins," which he made, served to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks for the memories! (I went on to complete a USAF career and retired as a First Sergeant [MSgt] and Chinese interpreter.
For the sake of humanity
Make. A. Book.
Big fan 🥂🥂
yah man write a book, Im definitelly buy it on pre-sales
I am mostly a whiskey drinker but got a bottle of gin recently. Botanist since I do enjoy things Islay. After a couple of different tries at Martini's, it was hot this past Sunday so I decided to try a Tom Collins. I had come to Anders channel to watch his video on a Tom Collins and couldn't believe there wasn't one. So I tried it any way and it was good! Now, like magic, here is an Anders video on the Tom Collins. A very refreshing cocktail.
I work in an Architecture Firm in NYC. We love watching your channel. It is a Friday tradition!
Perfect time of spring to cover this classic. Also, this is one of the best looking drinks you’ve made (in my opinion) . . . the symmetrical lines of the glass, straw, and cherry spear against the lemon and cherry say “art deco”. Really well done 👌
Cheers Mark
💯
The cocktail that started it all for me! I was wondering when the day would come for it to get it’s time in the spotlight. Sublime as always Anders!
It was time. Cheers Blake
Funny - started it all out for me too 10/10
Lemon and gin is always a winning summer combo.. A simple Tom Collins is delicious!
This was a favorite of my late grandmother and every time I have one I think of her. Thank you for your entertaining and robust explanation of this great cocktail!
Apparently, my grandmother loved them as well. She passed away when I was young, but I was recently at a family event, and I ordered one and a family member of mine mentioned she loved them and now it reminds me of her as well.
This sounds like it would be great with a sprig of rosemary to compliment the gin. Episode idea, favorite herbs to use in cocktails.
Like the idea - and agree with the rosemary. Cheers
When I make my home made Limoncello i've been known from time to time to put a spring of lavender in the bottle & leave it in as I store it to steep in a cool, dry, back of a cabinet.
Basil is even better. ☺
I tried gin with rosemary!!! It was truly excellent!! Thanks for the idea. I used gin, a sugar cube, lemon juice, an egg white, rosemary, and ice. I gave it a shake, double strained it, and added a splash of Sprite. Fabulous!!! 💞
I just made this cocktail using Mulholland gin. I could really taste the cucumber and lavender notes from the gin. I can't wait to try this with other brands! Thank you for the video and recipe.
I make the lazy Tom Collins. Gin and Sprite
Way back machine to my early 20s and one of my exes favorite cocktails was the tom collins. It was my introduction to the drink and I became a fan of it and its variants. Still love it 20 some years later.
Oh boy oh boy, a busy outside weekend approaches, and a drink to try! Great video as always Anders!
My favorite cocktail of all time. Simple, easy, delicious.
💯
Saw your video, I knew I would probably have all the ingredients for it on hand. Went to my kitchen, put my Collins glass in the freezer and started mixing. I used Tanqueray, and wow, I did not expect this drink to be so easy yet so nice. Gonna be making these a lot this summer. Cheers Anders!
I love the retro glass. Rum collins for me! Thank you for the hypothesis on the name (s.)
Classic drink, never gets old. Try the muddled version: 1/2 lemon (quartered) and a heaping Tbsp of sugar, hard muddle, add 2.5 Oz gin (I stir a little here to ensure sugar dissolves) and ice, shake and strain, add 4 Oz soda and ice to fit. So lemony.
The muddled version sounds great! What is your favorite gin?
@@Elizerinc I use an Old Tom in this for sure, but it doesn't have to be anything fancy. Lemon is the champ here.
@@tularjaggs334 Thank you!
🎉🎉🎉
I love these episodes that go super deep on the history portion 🤓
Keep up the good work you two!
I have a small notebook with recipes for home preparation but I always wait for your video to make all ticks and tricks. Finally, Tom Collins in the list. Thanks))
Tom Collins here 🤚🏻
Really love your channel and trying out the drinks.
Hotel Nacional has been a huge favorite with everyone I introduce to it!
First time I made this cocktail I got furious how such a simple cocktail could be so delicious.
Definitely one of my summer favorites.
That's how I felt when I made my first daiquiri.
💯
An Anders Erikson video on a gin drink I like to make on my birthday!? 24 is off to a good start!
Cheers and happy birthday!
I have watched a lot of videos from this channel now. I almost never drink though like once or twice a year. Your videos are just really entertaining.
Appreciate you watching! Cheers
awesome video, i was planning on making a cucumber collins this week, basically the same drink but with a thin slice of cucumber across the lengt ash a garnish in the glass, looks amazing!!
Nice spec Anders. My favourite variation on this is using orgeat in place of sugar syrup, and I also add a dash of orange bitters. Enjoy your weekend bro 😎
Sounds good to me. Cheers David - enjoy your weekend too
Anders! Thank you (to you and Az) so much for the great content all these years. I've been watching you since your old fashioned video and thanks to you I've enjoyed making many cocktails for me and my friends. Cheers.
Appreciate you making the drinks! Happy you're enjoying the channel. Cheers
FINALLY!!!!!!
This is one of my favorite drinks because of the reference in Ernest Hemmingway's Islands In The Streams. I have been long awaiting this video
This was the first drink that i learned. From my mother actually, and made it for her as soon as yesterday 😅. Love the simplicity of it, and it is even better now, that you gave some background info to go with from behind the bar. Love the drink. Love the channel. Love your work, so keep it up! 👌
Thanks! Good of you to return the favor to your mother. Cheers to you both
Perfect cocktail, crisp and refreshing. Sort of reminds me of the Harvey Wallbanger. Really like the history here!
One of my all time favorite cocktails right behind mojito, a modified bramble with egg white and golden fizz! Thanks for the history lesson and the great video ^^
Sounds like a good lineup - Cheers
I`ve been making drinks when entertaining at home for years now. It`s simple, refreshing and requires very little when sourcing the ingredients. This is the crowd pleaser that everyone enjoys.
I was watching this video on my TV, but picked up my phone because I felt compelled to let you guys know that I really appreciate the history lessons in your videos.
It's a perfect drink. It was warm this weekend, so I made one with split lemon/lime and 1/4 oz aperol (dialed down the simple syrup). Delicious.
I find that a half ounce of Italicus added to a Collins is absolutely lovely.
Another great drink how to ! Anders, cannot keep up with all the great drinks to make, but ..keep it going !! Props to Oz as well !
Perfect timing for the cocktail. Also liked the history lesson, makes your videos stand out
I love this. Simple and lemon and gin. I love gin. Likely my favorite spirit followed by cognac or whiskey. I will use this tonight. I also will be making this with Bubly. Hoping the lightly fruity goes well with the overall end product.
Never had one…to the bar! Great vid as usual. Anders, you are fun yet Az spices things up. She’s your Angostura.
I actually love a lemon twist or two in this, the lemon oil actually adds quite a bit
I'm a new subscriber but I'm already a fan and have been watching all your videos! Love the old fashioned drinks and history talks. 😃 I want to humbly request that you do a video for the Hemingway Daiquiri, my favorite classic cocktail! ❤
Welcome to the channel! Appreciate the comment. Been waiting a long time to make the Hemingway Daiquiri - stay tuned.
@@AndersErickson Yesss! Can’t wait! 😍 (And also can’t wait to try a Tom Collins now!)
Vodka Collins is my sweetheart's favorite drink. At home he would just have Ketel One with Simply Lemonade until I learned to make him a proper one. Juice of half a lemon, 3-4 oz vodka, 1 oz of simple syrup, shake to combine/chill, strain into a glass of ice and top with club soda. It's easy to make and really good and he loves for me to fix him a drink.
This and a mojito are my two favorite sunny day drinks.
Substituting in an Irish whiskey for the gin, it becomes a Michael Collins (after the Irish leader)!
Might be my favorite warm weather drink. Thanks for sharing your recipe! I think I speak for all of us that your videos bring a bit of extra joy to every Friday. Cheers!
As I understand it, and this is just from what I've read so I could be wrong here, the John Collins used Genever/Jenever because how you pronounce the spirit sounds close to the name John (close-ish, if you squint really hard, haha). I've seen calls for whiskey as a substitute but my guess is that it's to recreate the malty profile of the genever as the backbone. As you said, the Tom Collins uses Old Tom gin. I'm seeing a pattern of the Collins given name being a riff of the base spirit here!
I've also read that a Tom Collins without Old Tom gin is just called a Gin Fizz. From that, I would assume that a collins is just a more specific fizz for whatever reason, i.e. "all collins are fizzes but not all fizzes are collins" sort of deal. It almost reminds me of the whole "Ranch Water is really just a Tequila Rickey with a gussied up name because of the Topo Chico." I hope my train of thought makes sense here. Am I (mostly) right here? I don't know for certain.
Either way, a gin-spiked sparkling lemonade by any other name sounds just as refreshing!
Sounds pretty good to me. Appreciate the comment - cheers
The entire "name everything a Collins" also reminds me of the "make everything a Martini!" craze of the 1990s. Some things never change.
Made one for my wife and myself tonight. Excellent.
I have a fairly large garden, my raspberries, blueberries and blackberries are coming on, strawberries in full swing. Looking forward to trying your summer smash drinks.
Yet so simple and so good and refreshing, not everyone knows how to make it or know what it is. I’ve gone to bars and restaurants and have had bartenders ask me how to make it or they goggle it.
Made these at a party I hosted back in college, they were a huge hit! Haven’t had one in awhile, a revisit is absolutely necessary
I worked all summer on variations of the Pisco Sour only to circle back and 'invent' the Tom Collins (or Phil Collins when made with Pisco). Small tweaks for me: add Triple Sec, use Lime juice, dash of Ango.
Bourbon = Bubba Collins Tequila = Juan Collins. Irish Whisky = Sean Collins Cognac = Pierre Collins .... and I haven't even had a cocktail yet. :-).
My favorite Gin cocktail. I top mine with 7-Up and I use Plymouth Gin.
It’s Manhattan’s at the moment for me here in Sydney Australia. Will right this one down for spring though.
My wife's favorite drink...she is not much of a drinker per se, this is the first drink I made her when we first got married and she loved it:)
Tom Collins is one of my favourite cocktails. I was hoping Anders that you would have done two versions of this cocktail as you have done with many others, that is why I love to watch your videos. Still a great video👌
omg i LOVE that glass! also, you didn't really mention it, but i also appreciate you used a seltzer bottle. We have (and use) one, but it's old and it sprays like Vesuvius. i'm kinda thinking i gotta stop using a vintage one and just buy a new one. but bottom line, props for using a seltzer bottle!
Didn’t catch this on Friday as I was making Tom Collins! I generally just mix right in the glass.
Hahaha just ordered one tonight randomly. Good timing. Perfect summer drink
Thank you so much for this one! As simple as it is, I’ve found that it’s so hard for bartenders to get the harmony just right, if they even know how to make it at all.
I completely forgot about this classic cocktail! Can’t wait to mix up a batch of these on a hit summer day! Cheers!
💯
I love me a Gin and Tonic on a hot summer day! Refreshing
Great video as always! Loved the history bit here. I personally make these with tonic water instead of plain soda, I like the slightly bitter aftertaste.
My favorite forever! Best summer cocktail!!
Love making this at work, for myself ofc
While watching my favorite summertime movie 'The Seven Year Itch' it got my interest in Tom Collins, it just looked so refreshing! I like to ask for a TC just to see the bartenders stop and think for a second. It's a hit or miss if they know how to make a good one.
Bought some Viski highballs using your code last week! Should be great for this drink
Been waiting for this video. Thank you Anders!
I know you said you liked it as it is. But if you haven´t you should try it with elderflower liqour. 3cl gin and 2cl elderflower liqour. It´s really refreshing!
Also, love your content. Helped me with a lot in the bar here in Sweden
I love the Tom Collins. One of my favorite drinks.
Rollin' down the street,
Smokin' Indo,
Sippin' on gin and juice!
My all time favorite and my introduction to mixology.
I just picked up a bottle of Bols Genever…. I will have to try this out as a John Collins!
A favorite for sure. Great Summer cocktail... which is all the time here in FL 😅
I love the simple, good, classics.
My mom and aunts used to drink that back in the -70s and 80s
Amazing content and cocktail, as always! Thank you and looking forward to many more videos / cocktails. Cheers!
Thanks Anders, I just got my new collins glasses delivered and its perfect timing to make this!
Plymouth gin, the original cocktail gin. You should feature it.
Your presentation is absolutely phenomenal! I'd expect nothing less when going to a high end bar in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc. Onto other things, would making a gin video be something you'd be open to?
another fantastic info, historic additional knowledge Sir, Thank You so Much!!!
Tom Collins was one of my first go to drinks.
Here's my riff, I call it the Thyme Collins.
2 oz London dry gin
1 oz lemon juice
.5 oz thyme simple syrup
.25 oz elderflower liqueur
Garnish with lemon wheel and fresh thyme sprig
Love the Tom Collins. I made a variant with lemongrass and thyme and it was really good!
This will be my summer drink this year!
Easily one of my top 3 favorite cocktails.
Suggestion: As some of use ignore gin and gin based drinks, wouodd you consider making a Guide to the Differenbt Types of Gin?
Hey Anders, what brand of soda siphon do you use? There’s not a lot of info online about ones bars use rather then home cooks.
That Scofflaw Gin rules. Kudos to Anders for using an Illinois-produced spirt.
Love the history and of course the recipe! Thanks.
My go to, exept i like it built in the glass, so there is more room for soda
I actually made this a few nights ago . I found a recipe from David Wonderich for the original recipe that used old Tom gin and lime juice. It was excellent
This is the daddy of all drinks, imo. Like, I will take a Collins anywhere... on a moose, on a goose, in a train, on a plane, I do like them, Sam I am. I am an uneducated amateur, but I think that the Collins is a family of drinks... it's the 2-1-1 ratio liquor/sour/sweet thing... a margarita is a collins, a mojito is a collins, etc... that ratio you can't go wrong with pretty much any combination of strong, sour, and sweet (I tend to take the sweet a bit back myself too), then top it off (or not) with soda. Delicious. Aggressively refreshing.
Thanks, another great video. This is my favorite drink. I just hate when you go to a bar and they use vodka instead of gin and you don't find out until after the first sip.
I'd love to see a video on gin like you have done with orange liqueurs and rum.
I love that glass you used!
I'm in Chile and we drink Tom Collins all year long 😂. Try it with lavender syrup. It's actually pretty nice
Yeah! Shout out to North Shore distillery! They make some fine Gins.
Checks drinks cupboard and off to the kitchen, cheers Anders
I had forgotten about those! Thank you!
Man Anders where was this a couple of weeks ago when needed a recipe?😮My mom came out for a visit and she recounted a story she used to drink Tom Collins with her mother-in-law (Aka Grandma) and I was like what is that, never had one. So to the internet we went then hopped in the car to the liquor store and got back home and experimented with different recipe’s. A lot called for Triple sec. Nothing as simple as yours, will be trying this one soon!! 😄